It is difficult to overstate the column’s influence on American culture at midcentury and afterward: in popular parlance, Dear Abby was for decades an affectionate synonym for a trusted, if slightly campy, confidante. 在上世紀中葉及以後，說到這個專欄對美國文化的影響，無論怎麼形容可能都不過分：在流行語中，幾十年里，“親愛的艾比”成了密友的同義詞，這位充滿愛心的朋友值得信賴、雖然或許有點狎昵(錯誤)，但可以分享秘密。